I mark my identity with these core truths: being from Chicago, a career as an esthetician, and the rave culture I grew up around. Humanity is at the center of these truths, as is belonging, as is brilliant creativity and once-in-a-generation innovation, as is mortality. My vision for the Midwest Rave Culture Archive is deeply sentimental and outwardly expeditious: every participant and collection deserves a long-term preservation plan. 

I’m a single person, incorporated within a trusted network of people, taking action. I’m not a pro-marketer, I’m not a content machine, and I’m not looking to grow a business or a platform. I want to see my family and friends and greater-community represented in contrast to the commercial gaze of box office entertainment. I’ve had dozens of conversations with ravers who make mention of a video, a mix, a flyer or a photo that references some spectacular memory they have of being at a party; seeing their favorite DJ, in some crazy venue, with their friends and all the familiar characters. The light in their eye is pure magic. Much like the boxes of my parents flyers I’ve drawn inspiration from; mini-personal-collections are often condensed into a nice box on the shelf - not properly preserved. Born digital material like video and recorded mixes are strewn across hard drives, personal computers, the web and social media - who’s protecting our memories? How accessible is it to us, or anyone doing research? Where will all of this “go” in 10-100-1000 years?

So, an archive must be organized. I want to support, with evidence, that Midwest Ravers represent core goodness. I want people to see themselves written in - drop bias, drop popularity - if you were there, then you are here, in the archive. I want to know people in this community deeper, I want their wishes respected and modeled in archival policies and procedures. I want to keep being amazed by the stories, lineups, mixes, memorabilia, and people that inspire publication and installation projects. I want to follow the industrial revolution of electronic music from my backyard, to London, to Jamaica, to Germany, to New York, to Mexico City, to Paris, to India, to Argentina - everywhere people gather to be in front of big speakers.  I want to enact a body of evidence that counters stigma and refutes unjust systems. I want my generation and the generations to follow to know our history and connect to the purpose of rave culture. I want to archeologist-style-dust-off independent ideologies to uncover the unanimous appreciations Midwest Ravers have.

In the spirit of collections I’ve shared some favorite family photos. I love looking back. I’ve also incorporated some flyers and a mix from Psychosis in 1995. Having been born in April 1995, I marvel at the timing of these productions happening around my earliest days. I think we are a culture of people who are uniquely in-touch with people and confident in our wild ambition to execute impossibilities. I correlate my decade’s long esthetics career, in service to others and their positive experience, to the ground my parents laid; open minded and good natured. I’ve also inherited their wild ambition. I’m confident The Midwest Rave Archive is necessary and possible. I really gain something every time someone shares their story of parties past. Going to parties now or participating in production reconnects to that joy. Expanding my joy into an intellectual realm and studying academic archival resources to organize the archive drives me further.

Thank you - with love,

Aria Pedraza, June 2025